Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fantastic Four #32!

The most powerful superhero in the Marvel Universe, Galactus. While it’s true Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s son has taken the form of the Devourer of Worlds, Franklin Richards' version of the cosmic giant is already proving to be vastly more powerful.

In Fantastic Four #32, written by Ryan North, with art by Cory Smith, the Fantastic Four have messed with the fabric of time, trying to restore Ben Grimm’s powers, subsequently creating a reality where the Fantastic Four never received enough radiation to gain their powers. Valeria Richards awakens in this reality, where her superhero parents are completely normal; yet, she soon realizes that her brother, Franklin Richards, is Galactus and the world’s only hero.

As Galactus, Franklin Richards is all-powerful; However, his power comes with a dark consequence, giving reason for why Marvel removed them in the first place.

Franklin Richards Officially Becomes Marvel's Most Powerful Character, As A Version Of Galactus

Fantastic Four #32; Written By Ryan North; Art By Cory Smith; Ink By Wayne Faucher & Oren Junior; Color By Jesus Aburtov; Lettering By Joe Caramagna

As the Fantastic Four accidentally erased themselves from existence, Valeria and Franklin get transported back to their bodies in their new timeline, with Franklin being reborn with all his initial godly reality-altering powers. Since the Fantastic Four never received their powers in this timeline, it fell to an incredibly young Franklin Richards to save the world from Galactus and the many world-ending threats the heroes would normally face. As a baby, Franklin Richards is able to disintegrate Galactus, then replicate his powers and transform into the cosmic entity to become the world’s sole protector.

In this instant of assuming the role of Galactus, Franklin shows the true infinite scope of his power.

Even as a child, Franklin Richards was able to create small universes; in this instant of assuming the role of Galactus, Franklin shows the true infinite scope of his power. Yet this reality also validates Franklin’s reasoning for wiping all memory of his powers, in Fantastic Four #18, written by Ryan North, with art by Carlos Gómez. In this reality, Franklin Galactus is an all-powerful being, yet his lack of a childhood and pressure to protect the Earth created an incredibly immature god who mind-wipes anyone who shows any negative emotion. Franklin’s unchecked, boundless power ultimately becomes the world’s undoing.

The Fantastic Four’s Most Powerful Member Shows Off The Pinnacle Of His Abilities As Galactus

Franklin Richards Has Become The Devourer of Worlds Before

Franklin Richards and Galactus make for a terrifyingly powerful combination, though this iteration of the cosmic entity is not a mix of the two; rather, it is a young Franklin imitating the biggest being he has ever seen to take on the role of the Earth’s protector. This variant of Franklin Richards is him at his most powerful, as this version of Franklin is operating without any moral limitations. With his reality-warping powers, Marvel confirms Franklin has the ability to replicate Galactus’ powers, the Power Cosmic, and possibly any conceivable power within the known Marvel Universe.

Oddly enough, this is not the first time Franklin has assumed the mantle of Galactus and obtained an unprecedented power upgrade in doing so. In Earth X #2, written by Jim Krueger, with art by Alex Ros, and John Paul Leon, the same story that featured Shalla-Bal as a variant of the Silver Surfer, Franklin Richards took up the identity of Galactus to protect the universe from the Celestials. Similarly, this variant of Franklin Richards was so powerful, his mutation evolved past a secondary mutation into a new third level as he took on his new cosmic body.

Marvel Reveals Why Franklin Richards Can Never Fully Embrace His Ultimate Power

Will Fans Ever See Franklin Richards As Galactus Again?

This variant of Franklin Richards as Galactus demonstrates why Franklin Richards' god-like abilities are one of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful yet detrimental. Franklin can never fully embrace his powers because they are so abrasive in affecting the universe’s very delicate status quo, where having an all-powerful hero like Franklin makes long-term storytelling difficult. This isn’t the first time Marvel has merged the two most powerful characters in Fantastic Four lore, and with Franklin Richards’ literal limitless abilities, there’s a good chance this won’t be the last.

Fantastic Four #32 is available now from Marvel Comics!